Modi, Rahul greet ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh on his 86th birthday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wished his predecessor Dr Manmohan Singh on his 86th birthday on Wednesday and prayed for his long life and good health.

 

Meanwhile, Congress president Rahul Gandhi also extended his greetings to the former prime minister, saying the Singh's birthday is an opportunity to appreciate and remember his contribution towards the cause of nation-building.

 

Dr Manmohan Singh served as the former prime minister between 2004 and 2014 during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Singh, who was the first Sikh in office, was also the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term.

Singh's political career began in 1991 when he was appointed as the country's Finance Minister under the leadership of late prime minister PV Narasimha Rao. It was the same year during which he helped usher in "liberalisation and privatisation" to the Indian economy.

Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also wished the former Prime Minister and spoke about Singh's integrity, sobriety and humble nature. He wrote on Twitter:  

 

Born in Gah (now in Punjab, Pakistan), Singh's family migrated to India during its partition in 1947. After obtaining his doctorate in economics from Oxford, Singh worked for the United Nations during 1966–69. Over the 70s and 80s, Singh held several key posts in the Government of India, such as Chief Economic Advisor (1972–76), Reserve Bank governor (1982–85) and Planning Commission head (1985–87).